Many roadracing champions will tell you that training in the dirt has helped them immensely in becoming the best rider they can be. The drastically reduced grip in the dirt makes a rider feel more comfortable on the street when one or both tires start slipping. At the Rich Oliver’s Mystery School, five-time 250cc champion, Rich Oliver, will teach you how to gain confidence on two wheels, all from the controls of a TTR125 Yamaha.

Yamaha fans expecting to hear big news from the Tuning Fork brand at Intermot may be a bit disappointed the Cologne show only brought us a refreshed XJR1300, the MT-07 Moto Cage stunt variant and a futuristic three-wheeled concept model. The first two aren’t likely to come to North America and the third might never see production. But fear not, as while most of the motorcycle world was focused on Intermot, Yamaha released a video teasing a “new era” supersport announcement for Nov.

Yamaha continues to expand its MT lineup (or FZ lineup for us North Americans) with a new stunt rider variant on the MT-07. Making its public debut tomorrow at the Intermot show in Cologne, the 2015 Yamaha MT-07 Moto Cage will likely be an exclusive model for the European market like the Street Rally and Sport Tracker variants of the MT-09. Polish rider Rafal “Stunter13″ Pasierbek has signed on to be Yamaha’s official stunt rider, performing at shows and competitions on the MT-07 Moto Cage.

In a time where air-cooled icons like Harley-Davidson, Indian, BMW‘s boxer engine and the Ducati Monster have all embraced the radiator, it’s a bit surprising to know Yamaha is still offering the XJR1300 in Europe. Featuring the world’s largest-displacement air-cooled Inline-Four engine in production, the XJR1300 lives on in 2015 with a new custom-inspired look and a cafe racer variant. The 2015 XJR1300 was inspired by a custom from builder Keino called “Rhapsody in Blue” as part of Yamaha’s Yard Built program.

Following the success of its MT platform, Yamaha says it will continue to develop new models based on shared platforms, allowing for a choice of multiple models while reducing overall costs. Speaking in a presentation on the company’s business operation, Yamaha Motor President Hiroyuki Yanagi reiterated the strategy of developing multiple models sharing the same engine and frame. Honda has followed a similar strategy with its NC models, seeing the platform evolve to include the CTX700 and NM4.

This just in from the Yamaha Champions Riding School. And if you believe it, we have some snake oil to sell you…
The Yamaha Champions Riding School didn’t just spring from the tarmac like a jack-in-the-box with light rebound damping. No.

Say what you will about the depleted state of the American roadracing scene, it shouldn’t diminish the fact Hayes put in the effort and beat some formidable challengers to the title. Here, the AMA congratulates Josh Hayes on his accomplishment. Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes entered the 2013 AMA Pro SuperBike season on the heels of the most dominant campaign in the history of the series and with his primary threat no longer in the paddock.

BMC has just released air filters for the 2014 KTM 1290 SuperDuke, 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 and 2011-2013 Honda CBR250 – which also fit the 2015 Honda CBR300R. These filters are distributed to the U.S. and Canada through SpeedMob Inc.

Last weekend, Monster Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes cemented his fourth AMA Superbike title by winning both Superbike races at New Jersey Motorsports Park. To honor his achievement, Arai presented Hayes with a special, one-off edition of itsCorsair-V RC. In its normal trim, the Corsair-V RC is a pricy lid, retailing for $3,995.95 with just clear coat over its carbon fiber shell.